1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front fender structure capable of improving the planar rigidity of a fender panel.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-194415, filed Jun. 30, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
The front fender structure described below has been proposed in order to attempt to prevent the strength of the lower part of the fender panel from being reduced and to make the fender panel narrow. That is, the structure is such that a bracket is elongated from the lower part of an enclosure plate integrated with the rear part of a fender panel by welding toward the lower part of the wheel arch edge portion of the fender panel, and the bracket is caused to function as a beam member by welding the tip end of the bracket to the lower part of the wheel arch edge portion of the fender panel (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-6847).
The front fender structure gives reinforcement for the purpose of preventing the strength in the lower part of the fender panel from being reduced and simultaneously attempting to make the fender panel narrow. Therefore, the front fender structure does not contribute to the planar rigidity in the vicinity of the upper portion of the wheel arch edge portion which is roughly flat in the fender panel and has a wide area. The reason why is that, conventionally, the plate thickness of the fender panel is thick and the planar rigidity of the fender panel is secured by the fender panel itself even if there is a portion which is roughly flat and has a wide area in the fender panel.
In recent years, for the purpose of making the vehicle weight lighter, it has been highly desired that the plate thickness of a fender panel is made as thin as possible. However, if the plate thickness of the fender panel is made thin, it is impossible to secure the planar rigidity of the rear part at the upper portion of the wheel arch edge portion, which is roughly flat and has a wide area, of the fender panel. Therefore, if the portion is pressed by a person by hand, the portion is easily deformed (so-called temporary denting). Although the deformation can be reversed if pressing by hand is stopped, the sense of luxuriousness of a vehicle is lost or spoiled.